Why do some people enjoy getting up super early in the morning? It’s hard to imagine that someone wouldn’t want to milk the morning hours for every precious moment of sleep available. If there are health benefits to waking before sunrise, or at the very least, earlier than what most of us mere mortals think of as “early,” it might be worth considering, even for those of us who would prefer to stay in bed until noon with the blackout curtains drawn closed.

As difficult as it may sound, waking up before the sun daily is proactive and productive. But how early are we talking? Must it still be dark outside when you drag yourself out of bed in the morning? The best thing is to wake up with the sun — not before, not after it. “Up until 150 years ago, before the invention of electricity, humanity woke with the rise of the sun to hunt, tend to the field, etc.,

Of course, not everyone can wake up with the sun every day, so if your schedule doesn’t allow for that, there are plenty of alarm clocks that simulate the sunrise and can work just as effectively in gently easing you awake.

However, a more important reason to wake up with the sun (or at least a bit earlier than you’re used to) regularly is that it simply gives you more time in your day — time that you can spend on yourself, on things that genuinely make you feel alive inside and outside.

In reality, you don’t have to do anything profound or complicated to make those precious morning hours meaningful and beneficial for you.

Whether you like to sit on your balcony and watch the world wake up or get your body moving with some light Yoga, Cycling, or morning run to clear your mind, your morning routine is all about taking time out for yourself. It’s all about how you want to utilize your morning hours.

You can include getting up early in your morning routine and reap the benefits of it for the rest of your life.